There may be an area better suited to news issues but this is a CORN thing so I figured I should pop it in here.

This is a copy of my LJ post I wrote this morning:

Some may, some may not know... Regardless it is a major aspect of my life so here I will spell it out:

Hi, my name is Shelley and I have a corn allergy.

Pure and simple... It is not a "nice" thing. It is a complicated thing. It controls my daily existence in ways that most cannot even fathom.

Last night the paper was brought in, and the love of my life opened it to a page that was titled : "Mayor vows to fight waterfront ethanol plant"

My heart sank, my stomach turned and my head started to pound. I was being rather insistent about him passing over the paper with him waving me off and telling me to let him read first. Reasonable point there I guess. I have the corn allergy but in reality so does he. In no other way then he lives with it, copes with it, deals with it every day like I do. This is his life as much as mine... The difference is he has made the choice to stand by my side through this mess. He is an amazing man!

Upon reading it he passed it over and I started to read. This is what it said:

Yes... The plant would directly add 50 jobs, and indirectly add another 650 jobs in the area; However, I am likely to some day stand behind, in front of or beside one of those 50 employees and that in its self could be disaster.

Yes... The plant would stimulate economic growth and provide 1 million dollars in yearly taxes; However, they have openly started they will be asking for government financing in the MILLIONS to get the plant built and started AND have defined that they WILL ask for more money should they be operating at a loss. WHAT? They want to put a plant in near the waterfront where it will be constantly at risk of higher winds that will blow their junk across the city I live in, and this plant is going to cost 185 MILLION DOLLARS and they can't project for certain that this will not be a losing proposition?

Thankfully the Major of my town feels this is not the direction he wants the city to go, but the company has already defined that they will appeal a negative decision with the Ontario Municipal Board... The decision won't be finalized till September. Ok! So I now know how I will be spending my summer:

In addition to my wedding plans.
In addition to dealing with lil miss (who is a handful all on her own).
In addition to work...

I will now be attempting to fight the battle of my life. For my life.

What are my other options? Move? Where? A larger city with more ethanol gas fumes (I've done this)... The country with more corn fields (I've done this)... Further from Toronto where my sweetheart works, and where I regularly have to drive to see clients? To a place that the same house costs us 2 times the amount of money to buy so we loose whatever equity we have in essence because we have to come in with next to nothing?
None of this is plausible.

And while I can understand and appreciate the local farmers perspective, and the Ontario Corn Producers Association... And while I appreciate all farmers VERY MUCH. Especially with having family roots in farming... I cannot keep my mouth shut and hope for the best when they want to put this into the community I live in.

Write your local newspaper, Province government, and Canadian government.

Go into gory detail how the Ethanol plant would effect you. Use previous examples of problems you have had.

I intend to. Heck... All I have to do is take them to a mall with a popcorn place or take some corn products with me to do a nice little demonstration. Or I can take the easy way and open my purse to pull out my "Corn-free" medication. It says exactly what it is.

I also intend to get down and dirty and call on a friends resources if I get the brush off. My life mentor and dear friend has been the media liaison for a number of the "inquiries" we've had in Ontario and worked in media for years. I am trying to be a good girl and go to the Mayor and local paper first though.

The great thing is my family is behind me...

The hard part is: That I know there are others in the area with corn allergy issues but it is not like we communicate or even have one anothers names. Which is why I'm probably going to spend a lot of my time making sure anyone local is aware of it too.

Well... Did it not shock me into wakefulness on Monday morning when my MAYOR was on the other end of my ringing phone.

He was very cool about things, and we talked a bit. Apparently he has his own food allergy/ies and also had not considered that as a reason but understand my concern and will be adding this to his many reason to oppose it.

Very cool... A good start but I can say I am not done yet. That is for sure.

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